The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-05-14

perch, and looked as if something had
snapped inside him.
The other prisoners were no less aghast,
and fell to wondering whether No. 222
would get months bread and water or a
aogging.
All this while No. 222 was gazing quiet
ly but ixedly upon the weak-faced warder.
The officer repeated his order in a voice
that began in roar and ended in low
rattle. With the eye of the prisoner riv-
eted upon it his countenance underwent a
sudden and startling change. The eyes
grew fixed and vacant, and all the muscles
stifened; then the pencil which he had
taken up to write the prisoners name for
report upon his slate slipped through his
fingers, and he grew rigid in his seat.
"I think, sir, said No. 222 softly, "that
| need not have my hair cut to-day"
"You need not have your hair cut to-
day." replied the warder; but he spoke like
a man in dream.
You are somewhat sleepy, sir. The
afternoon is warm. You had better enjoy
little siesta," pursued the prisoner, who
all the while had not removed his eyes
from the wardcr's face.
81 am somewhat sleepy. The afternoon
is warm. had better enjoy littl siesta,
echoed the warder; and still he spoke like
one laid in dreams.
"That's right" said No. 222. "You
shall go to sleep like an angel in moment;
but first see whether you have any tobacco
and newspaper in your pocket"
The warder's hand went automatically
to his pocket, and drew from it tobacco
pouch and the days journal. He laid
them on the desk before him, then his
head fell forward, and he slept like man
entranced.
"No. 222 walked to the officers place
and took up the tobacco-pouch aud the
newspaper. The pouch had been newly
filed. An even distribution of its contents
resulted in quid apiece for the convicts,
and each man received his morsel and chew
ed it with pale, astonished face.
No. 222 then took up his position beside
the sleeping warder, and proceeded to read
aloud such items from the criminal tribu-
mails as he judged most likely 10 interest his
audience.
There was a signal enormity about these
transactions which, when their astonish-
ment and alarm had in some measure SUBJ
sided, the prisoners were not slow to appre-
ciate. Few articles are in higher degree
contraband within the walls of a prison
than newspapers and tobacco, and to chew
the one while listening to the police reports
in the other constituted height and ex-
cess of illicit felicity such as seemed cheap
ly bought at the price of prospective whip
pings.
At the end of an hour or so No. 222
folded the newspaper, and having laid it
on the warder's desk beside the tobacco
pouch, returned to his seat. The convcts
resumed their work and silence was re-
stored.
A few moments later the warder awoke
with the same suddenness with which he
had fallen sleep; but the aspect of his face
and the air with which he glanced over the
room showed at once that he was utterly
oblivious of everything that had happened
since the moment when he first addressed
himself to No. 222. Seeing his newspaper
and tobacco-pouch on the desk before him,
and thinking it improbable that he had
placed them there himself, he concluded
that he had gone to sleep for few min
utes and that his pocket had been picked
But he held his tongue, for such things
had happened before, and he was much too
intelligent to lay charge against his gang
which he could only substantiate by incul-
pating himself.
If No. 222 had previously been man
of mark amongst his associates he basked
now in the sunshine of fame such as no
prisoner had ever enjoyed before. But
they grew desperately afraid of him, con-
cluding as many of the warders had already
done that he had dealings with the father
of night Meanwhile No. 222 conducted
himself as he had always done, with gen.
tleness, politeness, and good humor, and
continued as before to earn the highest
possible number of good-conduct marks per
week.
The assistant warder whom he had sub
dued in the manner described made no re-
port of the affair, because the remembrance
of it had (by some occult agency known
only to his subduer) been utterly effaced
in him. And, odd to relate, this same as
sistant warder became from that day kind
ly and almost affectionately disposed to-
ward No. 222, and used his influence with
higher officer to have him promoted in
the jail.
His promotion brought him under the
immediate authority of "principal' war
der, with whom until now he had had very
little to do. This was a small, sturdy man,
with teeth like tusks and an acrobatic
agility of frame, who would provoke pris-
oner into knocking him down for the sub
sequent satisfaction of procuring him a
fogging.
The warder no sooner had No. 222 under
his control than he hated him; he no sooner
hated him than he resolved to incommode
him; he no sooner resolved to incommode
him than he proceeded to put the resolve
into effect.
He perceived that No. 222 was a man
of mild behavior and one who might be
expected to accommodate himself to a course
of corrective treatment
He set him dirty little tasks of a super
Auous character, and accused him Of
breaches of the rules which ne could not
possibly have committed. When on duty
at night IN the corridor in which No. 222
had his cell, he would hiss softly at him
through the slit in the door which served
as spy-hole, and would wake him at mid
night to say that he had his eye upon him.
81 thank you, sir, was the only rejoin-
der he could ever obtain from the occu-
pant.
One night he unlocked the door with a
snap, let himself into the cell, and said !:
aTye caught you, my pippin, have 1 ?"
cat what, sir ?" inquired No. 222.
you're achieving terbacker, 222,' re-
piled the warder.
II am a stranger to the use of tobacco
in every form, sir, said the prisoner.
sGet out of bed. I'm going to search
you, returned the warder.
The mild-mannered prisoner oheyed, and
the spiteful warder made a pretence Of